1. Field of the Invention
This invention lies in the field of micro floppy diskettes, and more particularly pertains to spring structures for use in such diskettes.
2. Prior Art
A micro floppy diskette conventionally incorporates a spring means which is adapated to provide a localized yielding bias between working surface portions of the disk and adjacent portions of a pad member associated with the diskette jacket assembly.
Micro floppy diskettes are coming into wide spread usage in computers, especially in so-called personal computers, as the memory, or information storage means. Briefly, each such diskette comprises a revolvable 3.5 inch flexible disk of magnetizable composition which is housed in a jacket assembly. In use after positioning in a computer, the jacket assembly remains stationary while the disk is revolvably driven by a shaft functionally axially engaged with the disk at its hub. Computer record and read out heads are functionally associated with the disk through slotted aperture means provided in the jacket assembly. The structure and operation of the computer-associated mechanisms employed in micro floppy diskette utilization are well known to those skilled in the art and do not as such comprise any part of the present invention.
The spring means heretofore used in micro floppy diskettes suffer from various problems. For one thing, such prior art springs can tend to fail at their characteristic bend, resulting in a failure of the desired localized wiping action between disk working surface portions and pad member. Debris and dust then accumulates on such disk portions tending to result in such serious interference with normal record and read out functions. The failure evidently occurs because a heat build up tends to occur in the region of this bend which causes the material of which the spring is constructed to relax and lose tension at the bend site.
For another thing, such prior art springs have a terminus or end which is permitted to loosely rest against a portion of a pad member in the jacket assembly. Flexing forces exerted against the bend of such a prior art spring cause sliding action to occur between the spring end and the housing side wall portions. The result is that spring biasing capability is unstable and uncertain, making the achievement of uniform, constant biasing action difficult if not impossible to achieve and maintain.
Improvements in such springs and in micro floppy diskettes outfitted therewith are desirable and even necessary in order to obtain the diskette reliability needed for continued growth in micro floppy diskette usage.